Top Hair Dryer Reviews & The Ultimate Buying Guide

Hair tools have evolved from their earliest days. Years ago, it was the whole dryer attached to a hose that dried hair while you were tied to a cap filled with air. Now, blow dryers have evolved into more efficient, fast, and user-friendly tools. As the saying goes “hair is only as good as its tools.” While prices may vary as some cost as low as $15 and some even $500, it’s often leaving unsure if you’re truly getting the quality you pay for. We usually purchase products based on price or availability, without taking into account what all of those descriptors on the box actually mean – watts, ceramic, ionic, tourmaline.

Some dryers may often leave your hair more damaged and frizzy, which is something you don’t exactly want to achieve. In order to determine the best hair drying experience – like little heat damage and shortest styling time for example. With an intense amount of product research and reviews, we scoured the research to see which hair dryers really leave our users with shiny, voluminous hair, cut down drying time and fight frizzy hair. Here is what you need to know before you buy the best blow-dryer for your hair type and budget. First, let’s talk about what those features on the box really mean.

Hair Dryer-101 (Things to Know Before Buying )

Lets get through some basics. You won't regret knowing these 😉 So lets begin ...

What Do The Watt Numbers Mean?

​The more watts a dryer has, the more heat and power it provides. For thick hair, you will want a dryer with more wattage. Though there isn’t necessarily a specific wattage for every hair type, if you let your hair air-dry often then you don’t need a high watt dryer.

Why The Right Dryer Matters

It is important to understand that while blow dryers are used to dry and style your hair, they can also make your hair turn frizzy and/or dull. Choosing the right blow dryer can help fight frizz, add volume, and keep your locks healthy.

Features of The Best Blow Dryer

Here’s what your ideal blow dryer should have:

Diffuser- For those who have curly hair, then you will definitely want to buy a blow-dryer that comes with a diffuser as it gives the hair more volume. In this category, you may want to have a look at T3 Veloce Tourmaline Dryer or the Conair Infiniti Pro Salon Performance.

Comb attachment- Having a comb attachment can be very convenient as you will no longer need to use a separate comb to style your hair. Make sure to choose a dryer that comes with a comb that glides smoothly through your hair.

Cord- A retractable cord is very convenient because is enables you to style your hair without the struggle of whether the power cord can reach a certain length. You have more flexibility and room, and also make storing your dryer easy.

Thin nozzle- Generally, Dryers with equipped with either non-nozzle or nozzle air flow systems. The Nano Titanium by Babyliss Pro comes with a classic style nozzle is one of the most popular in this category.

Low EMF- Nowadays, more and more women are worried about EMF, electromagnetic field. If you tend to use your dryer daily or frequently, then choosing a dryer with low EMF is a must. The CHI TOUCH SCREEN is one good example. Most CHI products have low EMF levels.

​Quick drying- Quick drying is a must-have feature for busy women. You may want to look at the Harry Josh Pro Tools PRO Dryer 2000 which is a bit pricey (it costs about $300) but does its job of drying your hair really quick. Check out the 3 Featherweight Professional Hair Dryer and BIO IONIC. Both of which have been reported to dry faster than regular dryers by at least 40% faster compared to leading brands.

Dual Voltage- If you travel frequently, choose a dryer with dual voltage. Make sure to choose the best travel dryer with dual voltage that ill also suit your hair type. I highly recommend BaByliss Nano Titanium Travel Dryer to fit the job.

Picks- The pick attachments help to add volume to hair starting at the root. Short hair only requires a short pick while longer hair uses a long version. Chances are many blow dryer sets include these in ranges.

What is the difference between ionic, ceramic, and tourmaline?

To help hair stay looking and feeling its healthiest, find a dryer that is a combination of each of these.

Ionic-Ionic dryers help break down water molecules which allows hair t dry faster.

This will also allow moisture to penetrate deeper so that you will dry your hair and still maintain moisture on the inside. Ions help neutralize positive charged ions in your hair, thus restoring shine and helping hair feel conditioned.

Tourmaline-

This type of dryer has a gemstone coasting which contains minerals that naturally rid of negative ions.

Beauty scientists created blow dryers built with crushed tourmaline to coat the interior of the dryer. In recent tests, tourmaline blow dryers have proven to dry hair 40% faster than an ionic dryer.

Ceramic-

Ceramic dryers contain technology that helps dry the hair on both the inside and outside.

The heat is mild so it doesn’t damage the hair. A ceramic dryer uses ceramic coils with superior heat conduction. This means the hair will dry evenly without any hot spots that can damage it.

Are more expensive hair dryers actually better?

​Higher prices do pay for better quality and better warranty. The higher end dryers will give you better, long-lasting results. The better the tools are, the better your hair can look.

Find the Right Hair Dryer for Your Hair Type:

Features

Benefits

Great For:

We Recommend

If you want the product, just click the image

Ionic

Breaks down water molecules which allow hair to dry faster.

Dry/Damaged hair

1. Revlon Laser Brilliance Ceramic Ionic Dryer

Generates – ions to smooth and lock in moisture.

Frizzy Hair

2. Revlon RV544 Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer

Minimizes drying time.

Coarse/Thick Hair

3. CHI TOUCH SCREEN

Ceramic & Titanium

Create smooth, silky hair & eliminates frizz.

Tames frizz & Flyaway hair

1. Babyliss Nano Titanium Pro

Generates infrared heat, drying hair from inside out.

Keratin treated hair

2. Remington T-STUDIO Silk Ceramic

Adjustable Temp.

Ability to control heat to avoid heat damage

Fine, thin hair

1. BabyBlissPro TT

Getting the most use out of your dryer

2. Revlon RV544 Tourmaline Ionic Hair Dryer

Multiple Speed Settings

Ability to control speeds for your hair’s need.

All hair types

Conair Infiniti Pro Salon Performance

Lightweight

Small, compact and ergonomic.

Committed blowouts

Dry bar Buttercup

Easy blow dry experience

Dual Voltage & Travel size

Easy travel without converter issues

Travelers

1. T3 Veloce Tourmaline Dryer

Compact

Those who can’t rely on hotel dryers

2. BabyBlissPro Nano Titanium Travel Dryer

Are You Ready to Buy?

Now that you know what kind of dryer you need, here’s a few things to consider before making your next purchase. First, how much time do you have to dry your hair?

Second, what is your hair texture?

Fine hair should forget the ionic and tourmaline dryers and opt for ceramic for the even heating without making fine hair turn flat. Curly hair should opt for tourmaline or ionic with attachments with high wattage.

Here is a list of the Top Rated Hairdryers

Best Blow Dryers for Your Money!

#1 REMINGTON T-STUDIO SILK CERAMIC

#2 DRY BAR BUTTERCUP

#3 CHI AIR DIGITAL TOUCH CERAMIC

The Remington Silk Ceramic Ionic AC Professional Hair Dryer is infused with authentic SILK proteins. With this advanced technology, hair dryer can smooth frizz and leave you with silky smooth salon styles every time. The dryer’s salon quality AC motor provides maximum speed and power of airflow giving you 50% faster styling versus standard dryer without ion generator feature. The AC motor is also guaranteed to last, giving you a chic salon blow-out look for up to 4 years.

The dryer is comparatively quieter than others as you dry the hair faster. I like the useful two speeds with three temperature settings and attachments. Though the dryer may seem a bit heavier than others and a big too long especially with attachments installed. This may be a problem especially if you have bald hair as it makes risk getting stuck,

Silk Ionic generator for maximum ions and cool shot to set style in place

Diffuser and concentrator attachments for multiple styling options

Dry bar’s buttercup is powerful, yet super light with 1875W dryer that leaves you with radiant silky hair. The professional salon dryer uses negative ions and infrared technology with AC motor to deliver a powerful airflow while still being gentle. The Nano ionic technology helps break water quickly for reduced drying time as the Nano beads inside the dryer uses negative ions to seal and smooth the hair cuticle. It also helps to reduce frizz, and trap moisture inside for healthy, hydrated hair.

Buttercup dryer is well-designed, light-weight and it works extremely well even on thick, curly hair. It dries hair fast and looks incredibly shiny and smooth to finish. The fact that the concentrators snap in instead of slide on is definitely a better design that all dryers should be using as this prevents the concentrators to stop popping off once they become a bit older and looser. The concentrators also snap in without causing too much trouble. It's very quiet, which is great in the morning when you don’t want to wake anyone else up. There are 3 heat levels and two speeds, as well as a cool shot button that clicks on. You will need to hold it in to keep it cool as it doesn't stay cool with one click, which would have been a useful design.

Though the price may seem about high for a hair dryer, the quality makes up for it. The dryer looks amazing and modern with the LCD touchscreen which makes you able to control the heat and intensity of the air flow. The dryer also has the cool button and very light weight compared to others. It does a great job drying and there weren't any dead spots of air flow. Dead spots meaning that it blows out very evenly out of the entire opening, not blocked by internal components like some other dryers. The infrared tech and the ceramic heater and powerful but quiet motor really make the difference. It also comes with two attachments a diffuser and the slotted nozzle. It also has a detachable filter on the back so you can clean it. I really like this dryer not only because of its cool factor with the LCD but because it works as advertised.

Reviewers say...

Features

Full color LCD 3" touch screen

Cool shot button

1800 watts

Includes diffuser and nozzle

Unique memory setting

Best Blow Dryers Under $100

BabyBlissPro TT

T3 Veloce Tourmaline

Revlon RV544 Tourmaline Ionic

BabyBlissPro TT Tourmaline 5000

Column The BabyBliss Pro works great with thin, fine hair and is also good for coarse, thick, long, wavy, curly, and kinky hair. Overall, this dryer is the one to purchase when you want to splurge a little without paying too much for what you want.

With heat conductivity, the ionic generator gives higher concentration of ions while enhancing tourmaline’s natural ions to help eliminate frizz and close hair cuticles.

Some reviewers complain the control buttons are where the fingers rest, but add they get used to this issue fast with how their hair looks afterward. With the quality of the dryer, this may seem as a minor flaw for the product. Many salon stylists are used to the natural hand placement as not all dryers are the same.

Reviewers say...

Features

1900 watts powerful Extended life Ac Motor

Maximize volume

Features the ionic, ceramic and tourmaline technologies

​Has a powerful 6 heat and speed combination

Well-balanced drying the back of the hair

Uses far-infrared, red heat

powerful airflow

​l﻿ight wei﻿ght and quiet

a non-slip grip finish

cold shot button

removable filter for better maintenance

Best blow dryer under $50

#1 Revlon Laser Brilliance

#2 Conair Infiniti Pro Salon Performance

#3 BaBylissPro Nano T Travel

#4 Remington T Studio Pearl

#5 The Remington T studio Salon

With Revlon Laser Brilliance Ceramic Ionic dryer, the infrared heat penetrates the hair’s cortex from the inside. To help maintain the hair’s natural moisture, the dryer prevents over from drying for faster styling with results to maximum shine, softness, and control. The airflow passes through the infrared chamber thus releasing ions onto hair.

For a good price of $35, you get what you pay for in terms of quality. The variety of settings are perfect as well as the attachments are more handy. Hair will dry just as shiny and sleek as if you were to go to a salon and pay the $150 price for their dryer.

Reviewers say...

Features

Infrared technology penetrates the cortex of the hair

Ions have been scientifically proven to eliminate static electricity

Ceramic technology penetrate hair quickly and evenly to avoid hot spots and helps dry hair in a fraction of time

2 heat and speed settings for the perfect style

Diffuser and concentrator included

The infinity pro by Conair is affordable and keeps its promise as it promises to provide salon-quality results. The AC motor is quite powerful as it dries hair in no time.

What I really like is the combination of ceramic and ionic technology that minimizes frizz and helps keep hair in a healthy condition

One feature that stands out is the removable filter. Trying to clean dryers can be a pain especially when hair and dust gets stuck in it. The dryer is pretty decent and powerful as the noise isn’t loud. The Conair infinity salon performance dryer does its job with good heat, great settings and long lasting quality.

Reviewers say...

Features

1875W AC motor

3 heat and 2 speed settings

Ionic technology

Hang ring

Removable filter.

For an ultra-light and compact travel dryer, the BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium travel dryer is one of the best on the market as you can use it while traveling or simply want a dryer that won’t take up too much space in the bathroom. The cheerful blue color and quiet operation may take longer to dry your hair though this is to be expected from a smaller sized dryer.

This tiny dryer has high velocity for its size. It easily out-performs others I the “travel” size range. I like the two speed settings and the design with a matte finish. This enables a better hand grip and hides fingertips for better styling. There’s a removable back-grate for cleaning the filter, and has a 6 ft. cord. The dryer is quiet and ready for dual voltage – a feature important to travelers.

Reviewers say...

Features

Dual voltage for international travel

Foldable handle

Lightweight

With Remington T Studio Pearl Ceramic Professional AC Hair Dryer, you can achieve smooth salon results in just a matter on 10 minutes. The dryer features a salon-quality booster, ceramic pearl technology that works fast and helps seal cuticles to delivery shiny results.

Users consider this dryer to be the best affordable hairdryer on the market. Reviews commend how shiny this dryer leaves hair with so much volume. The air flow is strong and stable which allows for faster drying time resulting in saving more energy. One review says they’ve noticed their hair to stay straight for longer periods on time with smoother and softer results.

The Remington T-studio Salon Hair dryer dries the hair in no time, even at low settings. The Dryer dries hair professionally without damaging the ends and helps you spare time styling your hair on the daily. The Remington T-studio dryer gives the right amount of power and heat to make the hair healthy, shiny, and voluminous sleek, smooth and most importantly, frizz-free.

Users express how surprisingly quieter this dryer is compared to equally powerful hair dryers. It has a sturdy design and is easy to use with a kind of velvety rubber texture to keep it from sliding on the counter. The dryer has a smooth brushed finish making it good to the touch and pleasing to the eye. I like how naturally wavy hair can be blown straight without the help of a flat iron. This saves the hair from any extra heat. Though the dryer may seem a bit heavy, another good feature I like is the cool air function button is squeeze activated.

Reviewers say...

Features

A “universal-sized “ concentrator and a diffuser that both snap in very firmly

Easy to clean lint filter

A truly cold “cold shot”

A powerful and more durable motor

Greatly placed toggle-buttons that don’t get hanged by accident

Column 1The tourmaline-infused hair dryer is easy to use and made in the highest quality with imported tourmaline gemstones. The stones are crushed into fine powder and infused deep into the important elements of the dryer.

No need for spray coating as the T3 Tourmaline infusion process achieves long lasting results.

The T3 Veloce Tourmaline dryer definitely makes hair look more shiny and healthy with a significant amount of fewer frizzes. The dryer is air light with a nice long cord about 9 feet for easier use. It has a cool shot and quiet compared to other dryers. What users don’t like is where the on/off button is placed since it may be very easily to turn it and only has one heat setting. Overall, the results give a gorgeous, professional look and perform better than other dryers.

The dryer has an indicator light, multiple heat switches, cold button, and anti-skid bumpers with concentrator and finger diffuser attachments.

Users say the dryer can easily cut drying time in half, even for those with long, thick hair. The high heat setting makes the dryer work quick as it gets hot enough to dry. The air flow settings are perfect and the size and weight is light. Hair can transform into sleek, shiny, straight hair without the extra creams or shining sprays needed. The dryer also saves a lot of time as it comes with two attachments.

The combination of tourmaline and titanium helps achieve salon professional results on any hair type or texture.

Users recommend this dryer with high kudos. I like that this dryer dries hair without feeling over dried, but smooth and controlled. The dryer gives plenty of volume and shine with efficiency and fast heat. Reviewers claim it takes only 10 minutes to completely style the hair, while on average users take about 30 minutes or longer. Users love how shiny and healthy the dryer leave the hair even with thick, coarse hair. For the price, you really get what you’re looking for in all aspects. Many have relied on Baby Bliss for years as the quality of the products match up to their name.

Reviewers say...

Features

The infrared heat makes drying time faster, helping to avoid unnecessary damage to the hair

Engineered with professionals in mind, you'll enjoy the incredible drying power from the high-torque, 1900 watt motor

Dryers by Hair Types

Frizzy Hair

Thick Hair

Curly Hair

Fine Hair

Dryers by Hair Dryer Types

Hooded Hair Dryers

Travel Hair Dryers

Lightweight Hair Dryers

Ceramic Hair Dryers

Final Words

Before you begin your blowout, always make sure to let your hair air-dry as much as possible. Try wrapping it in a towel while you are getting ready as the towel will absorb a nice amount of moisture and will take less time to dry. Make sure to find the right dryer that fits your hair type as using the wrong kind of dryer may lead to damaged, over-dried hair. Pay attention to the wattage for speedy results. Choosing the best products is just as important as to how you style your hair.